Shaking Red
by MangaFreak15
Summary: AU: Of all the things Shinichi expected to happen to him on an average day, Kaitou Kid falling from the sky and landing on him was NOT one of them. KaiShin. Sequel is up!


**Shaking Red**

**Pairing: Kaito x Shinichi**

**Rating: T**

**One-shot fic.**

**Summary: **Of all the things Shinichi expected to happen to him on an average day, Kaitou Kid falling from the sky and landing on him was _not_ one of them. KaiShin. AU fic.

* * *

It was a cold night. Shinichi pulled the blue scarf around his neck high enough to cover his chin. The thick coat he was wearing, on top of all the layers underneath, was doing a good job of blocking out the cold - except when a strong gust of wind decided to batter him. He shivered lightly, his warm breaths puffing out visibly against the dark background. The street he was walking down was mostly deserted at this time of the night. Golden light spilled out from the windows of the houses lining the street, but they were too dim to illuminate the street.

Shinichi shoved his hands into his pockets when his fingers started to grow numb. To be honest, he wasn't sure why he was out here instead of lounging in an armchair at home with a Sherlock Holmes novel. For some reason, the idea didn't appeal to him today, as it normally would. He didn't have a clue why; he loved the series. Yet here he was, ambling around in the cold with no set destination.

He had heard that Kaitou 1412, otherwise known as Kaitou Kid, was holding a heist tonight. Although the thief was known for his unique costume, "no one gets hurt" policy, and habit of returning the jewels he stole, to Shinichi, a thief was a thief. And he was a homicide detective, so there wasn't much point for him to go to any of Kid's heists. Thieves didn't interest him.

There was a park nearby. It looked eerily empty without sunlight highlighting it, filled with children's laughter. Shinichi managed a half-smile as his own childhood memories playing at a park with children his age rose up to the front of his mind. They were fuzzy, as expected. It had been a long time ago. Now he was twenty-one years old, a diligent college student, and Japan's most well-known young detective (at least, that's what everyone told him. Having the nickname "Heisei Holmes" certainly helped).

But strangely, he felt unsatisfied with his life. Although he liked being a detective and solving cases, sometimes it was just too much. With his luck, he probably tripped over a corpse about three times a week, otherwise he was holed up at home going over case files sent to him by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police HQ. And when he wasn't bothering with those, he was in class. He was getting sick of it, really. He just needed to get away for a while. He needed to clear his mind, otherwise he was going to go insane. The crime rate in Beika was absurdly high, after all.

Shinichi sat down on the empty bench, content to simply stare into the darkness where the park's orange lamp light didn't reach. There was one other thing that he was unsatisfied with: his relationship with his childhood friend Mouri Ran. At age sixteen, he'd been ecstatic to have her as his girlfriend. By age twenty, the relationship had grown stale because of the gaps between their ideologies and their differentiating paths in life. Ran wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a lawyer, but he was a detective who primarily solved murder cases, and it would remain that way. He laughed bitterly in his mind. It was like Eri and Kogorou all over again, except he and Ran didn't fight like those two. When they had finally broken it off, it was so awkward to see each other that they hardly even talked anymore.

In a way, Shinichi missed those days in high school where he was just a genius teenage detective with superior soccer skills and a beautiful, caring girlfriend. What did he have now? Case files piled on his desk up to his eyeballs, a job involving chains of endless murders, and a lack of social life that probably explained his awkwardness in dealing with people outside of cases. He was a detective, had been for a long time, and it had been his dream when he was still a kid dogging at the heels of his famous novelist father. He had prestige, loads of fan letters, and a steady job. His parents were an ocean away, but they occasionally called to see how he was doing by himself. So why?

Why did he feel so… _empty?_

Just as that thought passed through his mind, his sharp ears picked up the faint sound of a gunshot. He shot up from the bench, instantly alert. He heard it again. He took off running in the direction he thought the culprit was shooting from. The icy wind nipped at his face, but he ignored the burn in favor of sprinting towards a possible crime scene.

A third gunshot, then it was silent. Shinichi slowed to a stop when he realized that he didn't know where exactly the gunshots originated from. He frowned, frustrated. He was a detective, damn it. Like hell he'd give up here. Calling up his memories of the gunshots, he slowly began to walk in the direction he thought was correct.

Something wet splashed onto his cheek at his next step. Confused, he lifted his fingers to his cheek. They came away red. _Blood? But where did it…_ Shinichi looked skyward as his thoughts spiraled through his mind. All he saw before he was smashed into the ground was a blur of white and red.

Groaning at the possible bruises he might have gotten from his nasty meeting with the hard ground, Shinichi wiggled his way out from underneath the mysterious object that had the fortune of falling on him. He stared.

It wasn't an object. It was a person. And not just any ordinary person either…

It was _Kaitou Kid_, the internationally renowned thief that the police had been chasing for years. Shinichi's eyes narrowed. He made a quick sweep, observations running through his head at lightning speed: _cracked monocle, missing top hat, blood running down temple (possible hemorrhaging?), heavy bleeding from right arm and side (looks like clean shots, though, shouldn't need surgery to pull bullets out), missing jewel._ He knelt down beside the unconscious thief and pushed two fingers against his warm neck, feeling for a pulse. It was there, but it was weak. He needed to get Kid some serious treatment, and fast.

Shinichi paused. For a criminal as well-known as Kaitou Kid, it was bound to attract attention if he got put into a hospital. There was the chance of the police arresting him once he recovered, and his true identity behind the costume would be exposed. Shinichi might be a detective, but saving a person's life came first. Looks like he had no choice. He would have to carry the thief back to his house and clean him up there.

It was a miracle that no one saw him on his way back to the Kudou mansion. He was thankful that it was nighttime, for it would raise hell of a lot of questions if the famous Kudou Shinichi was seen dragging around an unconscious and bloody Kaitou Kid.

Shinichi laid the thief down on his bed, grimacing when he realized that it was going to be a pain to wash the blood out later. He might as well just throw them out. He shed his scarf and rolled up his sleeves. He was no medical expert, but he definitely knew enough to be able to patch Kid up so he lived. He hesitated a little as his hand hovered over Kid's cracked monocle. Kid would probably be pissed to wake up and find out that someone had found out his real identity, but now was not the time to be choosy. Shinichi's hand closed over the monocle and removed it from the thief's face.

Kaitou Kid was surprisingly young. Hadn't the thief been active over twenty years ago? Shinichi's eyes narrowed. No, this Kaitou Kid looked like he was in his late teens or early twenties. For a man who was supposedly over forty years old, there was no way even he could fake a disguise like this. That meant… the Kaitou Kid in front of him was the successor to the title, not the original. The original Kaitou Kid had disappeared off the scene twelve years ago, and his successor had taken up the mantle four years ago. So the person he was cleaning up was the Nidaime Kaitou Kid. From the news he'd heard over the years, this Kaitou Kid seemed to be on par with his predecessor (although he was the only one who knew about the two phantom thieves). But right now, he was an unconscious fellow human who was shot down like a bird by an unknown person. Shinichi got to work on his wounds, mentally apologizing as he divested the thief of his attire. He left the boxers on.

When Kid was all patched up and stable (according to Shinichi's terms), the detective moved him to a spare bedroom and went to see if he could wash the blood from his sheets and the thief's clothes. He had given Kid some of his own clothes to wear in the meantime, since they looked to be around the same size. It was too bad that Kid's top hat was missing, but he likely had a spare at home.

Now to get some new sheets from the closet so he could actually sleep on his own bed…

Kid was lucky his heist took place on a Friday night. Shinichi could spend the weekend looking after him without having to miss any classes.

* * *

The first thing Kuroba Kaito was aware of when he woke up was _pain._ It was a dull, throbbing ache, but painful nonetheless. He felt groggy, too. What the hell happened? All he remembered was… he had completed his heist and was flying over Beika with his hang glider when he'd been shot unexpectedly. Shot? No wonder he was in pain…must've been Snake, that bastard…

He blearily cracked an eyelid open. And abruptly realized that he didn't know where the hell he was. Panic began to creep up when he realized his costume was missing. His top hat, monocle, and Kid outfit - gone. Oh shit. He tried to sit up, but the pain exploding in his arm and side made him quickly fall back down. Damn. He gazed at his arm, mildly surprised when he realized that whoever had found him after his accident had not only cleaned up his injuries, but also changed his clothes. What he was wearing definitely wasn't his. His wounds had also been expertly bandaged. This mysterious person was no amateur.

Okay, step one. Find out where he was and who unmasked him.

He surveyed his surroundings with a critical eye, taking note of the somewhat elaborate decoration - some rich person's house, maybe? Oh god. He hoped he wasn't in the house of someone who enjoyed publicity. He, Kuroba Kaito, and his alternate identity Kaitou Kid, were doomed if that was true. He fervently hoped that whoever found him was a nice person and wouldn't expose him to the public. Aoko would be furious. He'd be decapitated by the end of the day.

The door opened softly. Kaito's eyes flicked over to the figure stepping into the room, tensing up as he realized just _whose_ home he was in. Of all the rotten luck... Kaito prided himself on having extraordinarily good luck, but this was one of the worst situations he could possibly be in.

_Kudou Shinichi._ He was in a detective's home. And the most famous detective in Japan's, at that. He was screwed. Beyond screwed. _Poker face, Kaito, keep your poker face on,_ he chanted to himself, struggling to keep his breathing even.

His eyes met Kudou's head-on, daring him to try anything funny. He'd escape this detective, too, if he had to.

Surprise bloomed across Kudou's face. "You're finally awake," he said, pausing at the entryway. "How do you feel?"

Kaito was confused by the detective's words. Wasn't Kudou going to arrest him for being Kaitou Kid? Warily, but with as much cheer as he could muster, Kaito replied, "Decent." Then he added, "You're not going to arrest me, are you? If you try, poor, injured me will be forced to escape your haunted mansion, Meitantei." He sent a cheeky grin Kudou's way.

Kudou snorted. "My house isn't haunted, Kid," he said. "And I may be a detective, but I'm not heartless. Your injuries come first." He crossed the room in quick strides and put his hand to Kaito's forehead, gauging the thief's temperature using his own for reference. He drew back. "Looks like you don't have a fever anymore. If you're hungry, I'll make some soup now." On cue, Kaito's stomach growled. Kudou smirked. Kaito still didn't know what to make of the famous detective, but he happily accepted Kudou's offer. Hopefully it was chicken soup and not something containing finny… things.

* * *

As Shinichi stood in the kitchen waiting for the chicken soup to boil, his thoughts wandered back to the thief in his house. By all accounts, Kaitou Kid was a man whose identity was enshrouded by mystery. His eccentricity knew no bounds. He was slippery as an eel, and the police could never get their hands on him. At the end of his heists, Kid typically escaped from the roof by hang glider. He was the Magician Under the Moonlight, a white daredevil who stole jewels during the night, but always found some way to return them afterwards.

But from the moment Kaitou Kid had fallen on him, unconscious and bleeding, Shinichi's image of him, pieced together by reports and television, had transformed from a distant figure to a mere human in need of first-aid. Kaitou Kid was no phantom, no matter how much he seemed like one.

When the soup was ready, he ladled some of it into an empty bowl and covered the pot with a lid. He grabbed a spoon and proceeded to carry the bowl upstairs to the spare room. When he opened the door again, he half-expected the thief to already have made his escape, using the soup as a cover to get him out of the room. Shinichi was pleased to note that Kid was sitting up in bed, fidgeting impatiently.

Kid brightened at the sight of him. As Shinichi walked towards him, Shinichi asked, "Do you think you can drink the soup by yourself?"

Kid tested his injured arm, a grimace lacing across his face. "I can if I balance the bowl in my lap," he said. "I can use my left hand." Then a mischievous grin broke out across his visage and he leaned forward. "Unless you're willing to feed me, Meitantei?"

"If you're well enough to crack jokes, you can feed yourself," Shinichi replied dryly, setting the bowl on the bedside table. "I'll see if I can find a tray or something. Help yourself." He tried his best not to smile when Kid pouted at his refusal. Kid really was like a kid when he wanted to be.

He didn't end up finding a tray, but when he'd gone back to the room Kid seemed to be doing just fine with the bowl sitting in his lap. Shinichi told the thief to get some rest afterwards so his injuries wouldn't be aggravated by too much movement.

"But it's boring!" Kid complained, waving his one free arm. "At least let me amuse myself a little. You didn't throw my suit away, did you?"

"No, I washed it," said Shinichi. "Of course I took all your gadgets out before that. If you tell me what to get, I'll bring them to you."

"You're really nice, Meitantei," said Kid, beaming. "I thought you would be a stick in the mud like Hakuba for sure!"

"Hakuba? Oh, that guy," muttered Shinichi. He'd worked with the half-Brit before, but the latter tended to glue himself to the first logical conclusion he came up with. It was more detrimental than helpful, usually. He shook his head. "Compare me to him again and I won't bring you anything to alleviate your boredom." Kid gave him a kicked-puppy look, but didn't mention anything else about Hakuba again.

* * *

Alright, Kaito had to admit that Kudou Shinichi wasn't anything like he had expected. He was smart and actually had a sense of humor (albeit it was quite sarcastic). He was a pretty nice person in general (Hakuba and Nakamori-keibu would have arrested him on the spot, injured or not). Kudou actually went out of his way to bring him back to his house and patch him up. Although Kudou discovered the true face of Kaitou Kid, he hadn't once made any mention of wanting to know the thief's actual identity. Kudou simply helped him recover. If Kaito had wanted to flee, he could have. Kudou gave him plenty of escape routes. But the detective's actions had piqued Kaito's curiosity, so he stuck around, hoping to learn more about the greatest detective in Japan.

The first thing he noticed was that Kudou seemed to be perpetually tired. There were faint shadows under his eyes that pointed to a lack of sleep, probably from staying up late working on his cases. On top of that, Kudou had college classes to attend, homework to do, and Kaito to take care of at home. Kudou probably slept a total of three or four hours a day, which was much less than what the average human being needed to function. It was unhealthy.

The second thing was that Kudou's three loves in life were Sherlock Holmes, soccer, and solving cases. He hadn't known that the detective played soccer, but it made sense he supposed. A great detective should be in excellent shape.

Once Kaito's side injury had healed well enough for him to get up and walk around without pain exploding in his side every few seconds, he explored the Kudou mansion while Kudou was out. The house was _huge._ Kaito was mind-boggled by the gigantic library that Kudou kept at home. He hadn't known it was possible to fit so many books in a single room - no wonder Kudou Shinichi was "Heisei Holmes" of Japan. He had everything in this room he would ever need for reference. Part of his brain wondered if Kudou had read every single book he had. Insanity.

He scouted out every place in the house, mapping out all the possible escape routes he could use in case something came up. The only place he didn't touch was the room at the end of the upstairs hall; Kudou's bedroom. Kudou hadn't pried into his past, so it wouldn't be fair if Kaito snooped around in his personal space. He'd wait until Kudou gave him permission (well, if he ever did).

When Kudou returned from class, Kaito was lounging on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate, his eyes fixed on the T.V. They were airing news about him - his actual identity, and Kaitou Kid. It was a bit worrisome to expose his real name to the detective watching curiously behind him, but at this point he decided to put his trust in Kudou. The man hadn't arrested him, after all.

"_-Twenty-one year-old Kuroba Kaito has been mysteriously absent from his classes ever since the night of the last Kaitou Kid heist in Beika. His disappearance has worried many of his peers, including his long-time friend Nakamori Aoko, the daughter of Inspector Nakamori Ginzo of the Kaitou Kid Task Force in Ekoda. Coincidentally, on Saturday morning after the heist, several witnesses have claimed that they heard gunshots the previous night and saw Kaitou Kid fall from the sky. We can assume that a mysterious sniper targeted Kid and took the chance to shoot him down after a heist. However, all that was found in that area was Kid's top hat and a shredded hang glider, both stuck in the branches of street near Beika Park. The following week, Kuroba Kaito did not show up for class at his university. It is a known fact to his classmates that Kuroba Kaito is an aspiring magician and a major Kaitou Kid fan. Could his disappearance possibly be linked to Kaitou Kid? The police are working full-time to investigate his mysterious absence. The Nakamori family is unavailable for comments."_

Kaito shut the television off after that, turning to look at Kudou with a blank expression. The other looked thoughtful.

Then he snickered. Kaito blinked at him, clearly confused by what the detective was laughing about.

"Is your name actually Kaito? Or did your dad just have a sense of humor?" Shinichi asked, amusement dancing on his face.

Kaito grinned, understanding what the detective was laughing at. "No, that's my actual name." He got off the couch and bowed to Kudou. "Kuroba Kaito, at your service. I would prefer it if you called me Kaito, though," he said.

"Obviously you know who I am," said Kudou, but he offered his hand anyway. "I'm Kudou Shinichi. It's nice to know the person behind Kaitou Kid."

"It's a pleasure to know you too!" Kaito shook the detective's hand. "Do you mind if I call you Shinichi?"

Kudou looked surprised. "Well…if you want to," he offered. Kaito was sure that his following grin blinded the detective.

* * *

When it was time for Kaito to return home, he found that he was oddly reluctant to return to the life of Kuroba Kaito. He had thoroughly enjoyed his days with Shinichi in the detective's home. He honestly didn't want to leave.

He paused at the front door, looking back at the detective behind him. "Hey…Shinichi? Can I ask you something?" he said.

"What is it?" Shinichi said.

"Will you come to my next heist?" Kaito's face was completely serious when he posed the question to the detective.

Shinichi stared at him. "You're still going to hold heists even after getting shot down after that last one?" he asked, incredulous. "Are you _mad?_"

"I'm not mad, I'm insane," said Kaito, cracking a small grin. "But really, Shinichi. I want you to come, even if it's just once. I promise you don't have to go to any other ones if you don't enjoy yourself. Besides, wouldn't it be refreshing to get away from all those dead bodies once in a while?"

"…You've got a point," Shinichi admitted. "Fine, I'll come to your next heist. You better watch yourself, Kaito." He smirked at the thief. Kaito gave a shark-like grin in return.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure it's the most thrilling experience of your life." And Kaito _never_ made promises he couldn't keep.

* * *

Kaito's grand return was celebrated by an explosion of colorful confetti as he entered the lecture hall. The sheer familiarity of the action had the students and the professor gaping at him like fis - like idiots. He grinned at them, spreading his arms out. "I'm back~!"

"_Kaito!"_ Something barreled into him with all the speed and force of a bullet train, knocking him backwards and out of the doorway.

"Ack! A-Aoko?" he asked, peering down at the sobbing girl clinging to him and drenching his shirt with her tears.

"Where have you _been,_ BaKaito?" she cried. "Do you have any idea how worried I was? Do you? Huh?!" She detached her face from his chest and shook him ferociously. "You idiot! You… you selfish, stupid, idiotic _moron!"_

Kaito had the grace to look sheepish and guilty at the same time (guilpish, possibly?). "Sorry, Aoko. I got caught up in something dangerous and I couldn't come back till now," he replied. "Forgive me?"

"Of course! I'm just glad you're safe," she sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Welcome back, Kaito."

A chorus of agreements joined her as his classmates rushed to welcome him back to school. It would probably be splashed across the headlines tomorrow: **Missing University Student Kuroba Kaito Returns!** He would need to find another way back to his house, otherwise he'd be swamped with reporters.

* * *

The next Kid heist happened three weeks later. Shinichi felt bemused as he sat and stared at the small white card sitting innocently on his kitchen table. It was a notice, similar to the one Kid sent to the owner before he carried out the heist. Except there was something extra…

Kid had sent him the heist notice as an invitation. It was attached to a rose, of all things. A _red_ rose. What was Kaito playing at? Shinichi wasn't sure; he'd been told before that he had the romantic density of a rock, but even he couldn't ignore the implications of a red rose. Especially after spending a few years giving them to his ex-girlfriend.

Deciding not to spend too much time dwelling on the unexpected twist in his and Kaito's…relationship?/friendship?/acquaintanceship ?, Shinichi put the rose in a glass of water and read over the heist note.

_At the dawn of the White Goddess,_

_Amidst a pack of crows in pink perfume,_

_I shall steal the whale's reflection_

_From the nest of the black circle._

_-Kaitou Kid (caricature)_

Shinichi smiled to himself. The challenge was on. He had no doubt the police would have some difficulty solving this riddle, but considering that Kaito had personally invited him to this heist, this riddle was likely meant for him. It was as if Kaito was telling him 'catch me if you can!' to the Heisei Holmes. For once, Shinichi was looking forward to catching a thief over solving a murder case. Kaito was right. It would be good to have a change in pace once in a while.

The first line was pretty obvious. The mythology of the White Goddess was a reference to the moon, and the dawn of the moon meant moonrise. The second line he didn't have a clue about (crows in pink perfume? Seriously?). 'Amidst a pack of crows' - it likely alluded to the Kaitou Kid Task Force, considering the location. But the last two words were a completely mystery to him. The third line was about the jewel he was going to steal. If he recalled, three days ago a man named Karasuma Takeshi had gotten his hands on a rare diamond that sparkled in a myriad of colors when held to bright light. There was a rumor that a whale's reflection could be seen when that happened, but it had yet to be confirmed. The last line was the location: the Karasuma mansion. The kanji in the man's name pointed to "crow" (which was hinted by "black" and "nest") and "circle".

_You're on, Kaitou Kid._

* * *

To say that the Kaitou Kid Task Force was made up of idiots had to be the understatement of the century. While Nakamori Ginzo had a good head on his shoulders, he simply wasn't sharp or patient enough to see through Kid's tricks, which he fell for each and every time. Not to mention his irritation at Shinichi's and Hakuba's presences - Shinichi almost thought his ears would fall off by the sheer force of Nakamori-keibu's shouting. Well, that was just fine with him. Kaito had issued the challenge to _him_ after all, not Nakamori-keibu.

Since Kid typically made his escape via rooftop, Shinichi forewent guarding the gem and headed straight up. Looking out at the night landscape of the city made him realize that the roof was a great vantage point. The wind currents were strong enough to support Kid and his hang glider, but weak enough that Kid wouldn't be completely thrown for a loop when he escaped. The city was also very beautiful at night. Although the Karasuma mansion was separated from local buildings by a tall fence and trees, the roof was high enough for him to look over all of Tokyo.

It was cold up there, but Shinichi was a patient person. He would settle down and wait for the thief.

* * *

When he didn't see any sign of Shinichi upon his arrival at the mansion (disguised as a Kaitou Kid Task Force member, of course), Kaito felt a bit troubled. The detective had promised to come to his heist, so where was he? Perhaps scouting out some other place in the mansion so he could ambush him? It was possible. He suppressed thoughts about the detective in favor of getting ready to steal the gem, hoping that Shinichi would show up sometime during the heist.

Three… two… one…

Blackout!

The lights went out and he filled the room with his usual pink sleeping gas. Only Nakamori-keibu and a few officers escaped, having been subjected to this particular trick too many times to be caught in it again.

"Turn the lights back on!" he roared. To the members of the Task Force who had escaped the sleeping gas, he ordered, "After him!" Kaito laughed delightfully as the lights turned back on and exposed his fleeing white figure down the hallway. Nakamori-keibu never changed.

Turning a corner, he almost ran straight into Hakuba. The half-British detective lunged forward, throwing one end of his handcuffs towards Kid in hopes of snagging one of his limbs. He missed, and tripped over a wire that he was pretty sure hadn't been there a second ago. Green slime and sparkly feathers poured down on him from above, making him sputter incoherently as he tried to keep his mouth and nose free.

"Better luck next time, Tantei-san!" Kaito called over his shoulder. Hakuba cursed at him as he struggled to free himself from the sticky, feathery mess on the floor.

Kaito led them through the floors of the mansion, heading towards his final destination: the roof. Throughout the chase, Shinichi never once showed his face. Kaito found himself wondering where the detective was. He had agreed to come to Kaito's heist - and Kaito even had the grace to send him a personal invitation! - yet in the past few hours he'd seen neither hide nor hair of the famous detective. It was all he could do to tell himself that the bitter feeling welling up in his chest _wasn't_ disappointment. He was losing the battle. Badly.

As he neared the roof, Kaito looked behind him once more, searching for that familiar face with the sharp blue gaze. There was only Nakamori-keibu and his charging officers. He felt a sharp stab in his chest again. Shinichi wasn't here. He hadn't kept his promise to attend the Kid heist. Suddenly it felt meaningless. Without Shinichi there to make the chase more exciting, it was just going to be another one of his typical heists. Maybe he had gotten caught up in a case and couldn't make it. Maybe he had changed his mind about coming and decided that solving his precious murder cases were more important than chasing the elusive white thief. In any case, if Shinichi didn't show up at all, he was going to drop by the detective's home later and give him a piece of his mind.

He practically flew over the last flight of stairs to the door leading out to the roof. Nakamori-keibu and his officers were far behind him. Shinichi wasn't there. He sighed sadly. He opened the door to the roof, believing that the detective hadn't shown up at his heist after all - and nearly got beaned in the face by a soccer ball traveling at such a high velocity that he could feel _heat_ as it whizzed by his head and _cracked the wall _next to him. He froze. Wide-eyed in shock, he slowly turned to stare at the soccer ball embedded in the wall. It was still smoking. There was only one person who could possibly do that.

"Meitantei," he began, fighting to keep the fear from his face, "I'm glad you came, but… are you trying to _kill_ me?"

The smirking young man just a few meters away shoved his hands into his pockets. "No," he said casually. "I'm just trying to catch you. If I knock you out, you'll be easier to capture."

"But you'd ruin my handsome face!" the thief complained.

"You'd be fine," Shinichi said. "Who knows, maybe you'd look better with a broken nose." The light humor in his voice told Kaito that Shinichi was kidding with him. Still, that close call with the soccer ball was going to make him wary of doors from now on. Especially when a certain Holmes-loving, soccer maniac of a detective was around.

"Kid! I've got you now!" Nakamori's faint exclamation behind him snapped him from his momentary stupor. His trademark grin slid back over his face.

"Well, Meitantei. What are you going to do now?" he asked.

Shinichi started to walk towards him. "Before that, I've got one question for you, Kid," he said, drawing close to the thief. He had to do this before the Task Force members arrived. "Why did you leave a red rose on my table with the card?"

"Because I wanted to show you how much I appreciate your help with my recovery?" Kaito answered cheekily. At Shinichi's flat look, he relented. Leaning close enough to Shinichi's face that their noses were almost touching, he murmured, "I'm sure you can make that deduction for yourself, Meitantei." He drew back in time to see a pink blush bloom across the detective's cheeks. Kaito grinned. So Shinichi _did_ understand the message he had tried to convey with the rose. Excellent.

"But…but we've only known each other for a short period of time," Shinichi protested. "And I'm a detective. You're a thief."

"It doesn't matter," Kaito firmly replied. "I'm going to make you mine, _Shinichi._" The detective's eyes went wide at the use of his name, just before the thief closed the distance between them and kissed him. Shinichi was too shocked to do anything but stand there, stupefied, when Kaito drew back. Nakamori-keibu and his men burst through the doorway a split second later.

Giving the panting inspector a confident smirk, Kaito threw down a flash bomb to make his getaway. "Too late, Nakamori-keibu! Bye now~!"

"Damn you, Kid!" Nakamori roared, shielding his eyes. When the light faded away, Kid was gone. Nakamori's next stream of curses were so loud, Shinichi swore they could probably be heard from the other side of the city.

* * *

Twenty-two year-old Mouri Ran stood in front of the gates of the Kudou mansion, an apprehensive look gracing her face. She bit her lip. It had been more than a year since she and Shinichi had ended their relationship. She missed talking to him, even as just a friend. So she was here today to try to repair their friendship. Only… she was finding it hard to muster up the courage to go through the gate and up to the front door.

What was she doing? It was just Shinichi's house. She'd been here many, many times. What did she have to be nervous about? It wasn't like Shinichi was going to get pissed and throw her out on her ass (she couldn't even imagine him doing something like that). All she had to do was walk through the gate, go to the door, and ring the doorbell.

_You can do this, Ran,_ she told herself. Steeling her nerves, she marched through the gate.

She pushed the button for the doorbell, then stepped back to wait. Not a moment later, the door swung open.

"Shinichi? Can I come in? I want to talk to you about something," she said quickly, nervously fiddling with her fingers.

The young man in the doorway blinked at her. "Aoko? What are you - wait, you're not Aoko. Your hair is neater than hers," he said. Ran was bewildered. What on Earth was Shinichi talking about? "You're looking for Shinichi, right?" the man asked her.

"Wait, you're not Shinichi?" Ran asked. She was downright confused. He looked almost exactly like her ex-boyfriend, except his hair was way messier. And now that she thought it, Shinichi's eyes were blue, not the indigo shade this guy was sporting.

The young man laughed, amusement dancing in his eyes. "We get that a lot," he said. He pulled a rose seemingly out of nowhere, handed it to her, and bowed to her. "Kuroba Kaito, at your service."

"Ah, um, thank you," she fumbled, taking the offered flower. "My name is Mouri Ran. Is Shinichi here?"

"Sure is. Hey, Shinichi!" Kaito called over his shoulder. "Mouri Ran is here to see you!"

There was a crash as something fell to the ground, followed by a familiar voice exclaiming, _"Ran_ is?" Quick footsteps sounded somewhere in the house, before Shinichi popped up behind Kaito. Ran looked from one face to the other, mentally cataloguing their differences so she wouldn't get them mixed up again.

"Hi, Shinichi," she said, giving him a nervous smile. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure," he agreed somewhat hesitantly, shifting to the side to let her into the house. "I'll make you some tea. Kaito can entertain you for now."

"I can get the tea while you guys talk-" Kaito began, but Shinichi silenced him with a glare.

"Kaito, you are not going _anywhere_ near my kitchen," he said. "Unless you want me to serve you fish for dinner."

"You _wouldn't,_" said Kaito, horrified.

"I would," said Shinichi, a fierce glint gleaming in his blue eyes. Kaito shuddered. Why did Shinichi have to threaten him with those scaly horrors? He could still remember how Shinichi found out, and the detective had never let him live it down.

"So, Kuroba-kun, how did you meet Shinichi?" Ran asked, sitting down on the couch.

"You can just call me Kaito, Mouri-chan," said Kaito.

"Call me Ran, then," the young woman replied. Kaito agreed.

"As for how we met, I was injured and Shinichi happened to come across me. He took me back here and fixed me up," said Kaito cheerfully.

"Oh!" Ran's eyes lit up in recognition. "You said your name was Kuroba Kaito? I remember now. You were in the news a little while back, because you went missing for a week."

"That was me!" said Kaito, grinning. "That's because I couldn't move very well with my injuries. Shinichi let me stay here while I recovered."

"Why didn't he just take you to a hospital, though?" Ran wondered.

"Secret~!" Kaito said, winking. "Want to see some magic, Ran-san?"

"Magic?"

For the next few minutes until Shinichi brought them tea, the magician entertained her with various tricks that made her forget all her nervousness and tension. She briefly wondered how someone as cheerful and outgoing as Kaito could have become such a good friend to her studious childhood friend and ex-boyfriend Shinichi, but her thoughts were swept away as Kaito mysteriously made a few white doves appear out of nowhere. She laughed as the magician donned a confused look and pretended to wonder aloud about why doves showed up instead of rabbits.

Shinichi settled himself on the seat next to Kaito. "So, Ran? What did you want to talk about?" he asked.

Ran sipped quietly at her tea. "I came to… to apologize, Shinichi," she said finally, setting her cup down.

The detective gave her a befuddled look. "Apologize for what?" he asked.

"For the fact that we couldn't have had a better relationship," she admitted. "I know things have been awkward between us, but I want us to be friends again. I miss being able to talk to you."

Shinichi shifted a little. "I miss you too, Ran," he said. "You know I'm not mad at you, right?"

"Yeah." Ran smiled sadly. "It was my own stubbornness that I couldn't get past."

Kaito leaned forward a bit to study the girl who so resembled his own childhood friend. "So you were Shinichi's girlfriend, hm?" he said. Ran nodded. Kaito grinned. He flung his arms around Shinichi, who squawked in protest as Kaito latched on to him like an overgrown bear. "Well, Shin-chan's mine now!"

"I told you not to call me that," Shinichi muttered, elbowing the other boy in the ribs.

Ran stared at the two of them. Her mind connected the pieces. "Shinichi! You never told me you were gay," she accused, standing up and putting her hands to her hips. "Since when?"

"Not gay," Shinichi muttered. "Just…" He looked uncomfortable.

Kaito cut in with a cheerful, "I think he means he only has eyes for me~! It's been three months." He kissed the detective on the cheek. Ran smothered a giggle as Shinichi's face flushed bright red. Years ago she might have gotten jealous or thrown a fit if she saw someone else acting so lovey-dovey towards the boy she liked, but having come to the understanding that she and Shinichi could never have a perfect relationship, she could sit back and watch her best friend as he explored his own romantic interests (even if the deduction geek had the obliviousness of a dead log). She saw the way Shinichi's eyes would lighten up in proximity with his boyfriend, how happy he looked when Kaito was around.

Somehow she was relieved to know that Shinichi had been able to move on. Now she was free from the guilt that had been weighing her down since they broke off their relationship. Drinking the last vestiges of tea from her cup, she said, "Well, that's all I wanted to talk to you about. Kaito? If you hurt Shinichi, I will _never_ forgive you." The menacing gaze she directed towards him as she said those last words made the magician want to cower in a corner. Even Aoko wasn't this scary!

Shinichi just looked amused. "You better stay on her good side, Kaito," he said. "Ran is a karate expert. She can punch through concrete walls with her bare fists." Kaito twitched. He was definitely going to be extra-super-nice to Shinichi if he didn't want someone like Ran hunting him down. Definitely.

* * *

After Ran left, with a promise to visit him again soon, Shinichi turned to Kaito. "Knowing you, she'll never have to follow through with that threat," he said. "I know you wouldn't hurt me."

"No," Kaito murmured, cupping the detective's face with his hands. "I would never hurt you if I could help it, Shinichi." He kissed Shinichi on the lips, softly, gently… his passion speaking greater thoughts on his behalf than he could ever voice.

_I love you._

* * *

**I don't even know. I usually don't write romances like this. It's just… I'm having a major KaiShin obsession right now. I already have a sequel for this planned out, though I'm not sure how long it would take to write it out. If I end up writing the sequel, just know that it's hell of a lot darker than this one. Guaranteed.**

**Hope you enjoyed it, even though I did a bunch of time-skipping.**

**In case you got lost:**

_**keibu**_** - inspector (Nakamori: Nakamori-_keibu_)**

_**tantei**_** - detective (Hakuba: _Tantei_-san)**

_**meitantei**_** - great detective (Shinichi: _Meitantei_)**

**_kaitou_ - phantom thief (Kaito: _Kaitou_ KID)**

**_nidaime_ - second generation (_Nidaime_ Kaitou KID)  
**

**MangaFreak15**


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